“But stories were devious things, things with agendas. They could cheat and steal and lie to your face.” I love stories about stories. A Study in Drowning happens to be an excellent one. The atmosphere, the magic and the mystery were all tied together perfectly in this world that Reid created. Our main character, Effie, lives in this fantastical world, but her problems and her fears were so real. It’s very special when a YA book handles darker topics and still manages be so entertaining. I will be thinking about this one for a while.

A Study in Drowning was a fantastic read from cover to cover and it was especially atmospheric for the autumnal season of dark, rainy and windy nights. This reader living next to the woods is going to peering out of the window for slick black hair and bone crowns! Effy was a protagonist with growth throughout the story. She was a young women disempowered, controlled by many in her shortish life but she was forging her way through academic life with a burgeoning strength that increased. The reveal about her part way through the story absolutely took my breath away; I did not see it coming. Her project at the house on the cliff seemed an exciting opportunity...at first. That house. My goodness, my toes curled, I shuddered and all the hairs on the back of my neck were standing on end. The state of it, its occupants and then the basement were horrendous. Iaoto was all kinds of shades of creepy but Preston was a solid character who showed his ability to be relied upon. Rowan berries, hag stones and iron forged the way for safety alongside those pills. I felt for all that Effy had been through in the past and the labels she had been pinned with. The plot was superb, I was kept guessing, I felt all the eerie vibes and turned the pages with fervour. Ava Reid has yet again produced a memorable story with characters that come alive on the page. I loved this book, not quite to ruination but nearly. Thank you DelReyUK for the stunning proof which I happily devoured.

“You don’t have to take up a sword. Survival is bravery too” Thank you Ava Reid, I’ve felt seen. I am truly impressed with this book, it was very different and had much more depth than I was expecting. ”It was an eternal feeling, this sense of being unwelcome. No matter where she was, Effy was always afraid she was not wanted.” I entered into A Study in Drowning expecting a fantasy novel based on folklore and mid 20th century England/ Wales, happening in a dark academia setting with a bit of mystery to move story forward. We’ve get all this, and it is great. However, what I feel this books accomplishes best, is describing and validating experiences of abuse (sexual and parental abuse) and panic, dealing with trauma, misogyny and sexism, and finding agency and a new sense of self. The prose is expertly crafted, giving a murky feeling to the story, and easily showing what I imagine to be the feeling of drowning. My senses were overwhelmed with the descriptions from the start until the end. I’ve felt the romance was a bit rushed, especially given the circumstances. However, I believe it was an important piece of the healing process and I wouldn’t change the length of the book. As a fantasy, I wished we had a bit more worldbuilding and context regarding the hate, war and the drownings. A map would have been nice as well, I don’t know if the final version has it or not. I enjoyed it and I wish I had the opportunity to read something like this when I was younger. I wish Effy was less relatable and that her experiences were conscripted to the past. However, this is still an accurate reality, fairytale beauty or not. I would like to thanks The Fairy King, Random House UK, Cornerstone, Del Rey and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review. TW - sexual harassment, sexual and parental abuse, panic attacks, mental illness, sexism, misogyny, death of a parent (less)

A hauntingly beautiful and intricately woven tale that captivates readers from the very first page. With lyrical prose that dances between the mythic and the intimate, Reid crafts a world where the line between art and obsession, love and fear, is beautifully blurred. Reid’s world-building is nothing short of stunning, weaving elements of magic, mystery, and classic Gothic atmosphere with a keen psychological insight into the human condition. Her writing is lush, deeply atmospheric, and occasionally unsettling, pulling readers into a world where beauty and horror coexist in the most mesmerizing way. The narrative is rich in symbolism, and every page holds a deeper layer of meaning, from the haunting undercurrents of trauma to the allure of forbidden knowledge. A Study in Drowning is an exploration of art, love, and the ways we shape—and are shaped by—our environments. It is a masterfully executed novel that blends dark fantasy with psychological depth, and it will stay with readers long after the final page. Ava Reid has once again proven herself to be a master of storytelling, and this novel is a must-read for anyone who loves richly textured, thought-provoking narratives.

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of A Study in Drowning and it honestly, blew me away. The lore based world that Ava Reid has built is so captivating and mysterious. This is a classic gothic mystery for me. I hope it gets adapted.